Mississippi State @ Missouri preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2020 ) Missouri 45, Mississippi State 72

Missouri looks for a little revenge on Saturday when it hosts SEC rival Mississippi State, which beat the Tigers by 27 earlier this season. Missouri comes into the game having won three of its last four, including a victory at Vanderbilt on Wednesday, while the Bulldogs have also won three of four - capped by a home win over Alabama on Tuesday.

Sophomore forward Reggie Perry leads the offensive charge for Mississippi State, averaging 17.4 points and an SEC-best 9.9 rebounds. Junior guard Nick Weatherspoon adds 11.8 points and 4.3 assists per contest, while senior guard Tyson Carter chips in with 13.7 points and 3.2 assists. Missouri has been dealing with injuries, with guard Mark Smith (10.6 points, 4.1 rebounds) and Jeremiah Tilmon (8.0, 4.1) returning to the rotation against Vanderbilt after missing the last seven and five games, respectively. One constant for coach Cuonzo Martin has been leading scorer Dru Smith (12.5 points, 3.9 assists), while sophomore guard Xavier Pinson (10.7 points) has stepped up his game in Mark Smith's absence.

TIME: 3:30 p.m. ET. TV: SEC Network

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (18-10, 9-6 SEC): The Bulldogs are in that part of the season when every win means something, especially with a potential spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line. Mississippi State has two of its last three regular-season games on the road, with a home matchup against arch rival Ole Miss in the season finale, but the Bulldogs have gone just 3-6 in true road games this season. Getting to the 20-win mark in the SEC should sway the tournament selection committee to put Mississippi State into the Big Dance, but coach Ben Howland is certainly looking for a perfect 3-0 to finish to help build the Bulldogs' resume.

ABOUT MISSOURI (14-14, 6-9): Martin is in an enviable position now with a team that seems to be fully healthy, so there are plenty of options as far as who to play. Tilmon and Mark Smith are usually starters, but both came off the bench against Vanderbilt, and Martin will likely try to stay with that as he works both players back into the mix as well as to preserve the chemistry that the current starting five has developed. Still, Smith and Tilmon will likely see more action in this one after they played 14 and nine minutes, respectively, against the Commodores.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Mississippi State sophomore G Robert Woodard II ranks second in the SEC in 3-point field-goal percentage, connecting on 46 percent of his attempts.

2. Missouri entered Friday's action ranked 12th in the country in free-throw percentage, hitting a school-record 77.5 percent from the line.

3. Pinson has been red hot over the last six games, scoring 20.8 points per game in that span after scoring just 7.9 points over his first 22 games this season.

PREDICTION: Mississippi State 69, Missouri 64